Why You Need to Update your iPhone Right Now

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An update was unveiled on Thursday in response to a huge security threat

Apple rolled out one of its semi-regular system updates on Thursday and this is one that you need to download immediately. Buzzfeed reports that the update was launched to counterattack a software which can hack your entire device through a text message. The software is the product of The Israeli NSO Group, a group that is highly secretive and sells software to governments allowing them to hack devices for personal information.

The software was discovered by Citizen Lab, a group affiliated with the University of Toronto and Lookout, a San Francisco based mobile security group. The software exploits vulnerabilities in Apple’s software called “zero days.” They are called “zero days” because even Apple was unaware of them. When they found out they launched the iOS 9.3.5 update to counteract this software.

Mike Murray Lookout’s Vice President of research told Motherboard this software is “one of the most sophisticated pieces of cyber espionage software we’ve ever seen.” He continued saying that the Israeli NSO Group is “basically a cyber arms dealer.”